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| DOI：10.13522/j.cnki.ggps.2024405 |
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| Spatial variability of shrub throughfall in Helan Mountain |
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LYU Yingze, YAN Peixuan, ZHANG Haiying, SHAO Leilei, LI Jia, NI Xilu
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1. College of Forestry and Prataculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
2. Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwest China,
School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
3. Ningxia Helan Mountain Forest Ecosystem Research Station, State Forestry Administration, Yinchuan 750021, China
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| Abstract: |
| 【Objective】Located in the arid and semi-arid region of Northwest China, the Helan Mountains form a transitional zone between desert and grassland ecosystems. In this region, low annual precipitation and strong evapotranspiration result in patchy shrub distributions at low elevations. This study examines how shrub canopies influence rainfall redistribution and explores their implications for improving water-use efficiency and drought tolerance of native plants. 【Method】From May to September 2022, rainfall redistribution was monitored in six dominant shrub species—Artemisia laricifolia, Prunus mongolica, Caragana stenophylla, Rosa xanthina, Caragana opulens, and Spiraea mongolica—within the Xiangshui Gorge watershed on the Eastern foothills of the Helan Mountains. Field observations and statistical analyses were used to quantify throughfall patterns and their relationships with rainfall characteristics, enabling an assessment of species-specific regulation of rainfall redistribution.【Result】Twenty-two rainfall events were recorded during the observation period, with a cumulative precipitation of 178.6 mm. Throughfall rates among the six shrub species ranged from 75.67% to 79.43%, showing no significant interspecific differences. However, throughfall displayed clear spatial heterogeneity beneath the canopies, increasing with distance from the shrub base. The locations of ‘rain poles’ and ‘dry poles’ varied with rainfall amount, and areas with higher throughfall corresponded to zones of lower plant area index (PAI). In some cases, throughfall rates exceeded 100%, influenced by canopy architecture (e.g., branch and stem channeling) and meteorological factors such as wind, leading to a localized ‘clustering effect’ of throughfall.【Conclusion】The six drought-tolerant shrub species exhibited consistently high throughfall rates, substantially greater than those reported for mesophytic species in comparable environments, indicating strong adaptation to arid conditions. These findings enhance understanding of rainfall redistribution mechanisms in arid shrublands and provide a scientific basis for selecting shrub species with high rainfall-use efficiency in vegetation restoration efforts on the Eastern slopes of the Helan Mountains. |
| Key words: rainfall redistribution; throughfall; shrubs; Helan Mountains |
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